Store-service apparatus.



G. J. MILLER.

STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 21, 1910. RENEWED APR. 30. 1913.

1,1 18,037. Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

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7 5 NORRIS F C04, FHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D4 Cv G. J. MILLER.

STORE SERVICE APPARATUS. APPLIOATION FILED 11017.21, 1910. RENEWED APR.30, 1913. 1, 1 1 8,031 Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

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THE NORRIS PETERS (20., PHOTO-LI THQ. WASHINGTON, my C UNITED STATESPATENT FFICE.

CHARLES J. MILLER, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESGTA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN-MENTS, TO THE LAIVISON COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATIQNOF NEW JERSEY.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES J. MILLER, ofMinneapolis, Hennepin county, Minnesota, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Store-Service Apparatus, of which the followingis a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a propelling device inconnection with a carrier having a basket or receptacle hinged at eachend and capable of being lowered at either end for the purpose offilling the basket or removing its contents.

The invention has for one of its objects the provision of improved meansfor ejecting carriers from a station.

Another object of said invention is to provide an improved means forarresting carriers arriving at the station. This and other objects of myinvention will be hereinafter referred to and the novel means and combinations of elements whereby they may be attained will be moreespecially pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

I am aware that various changes and modifications may be made hereinwithout departing from thespirit of my invention, and hence desire to belimited only by the scope of said claims.

In the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a side elevation of a store service carrier station embodying myinvention, Fig. 2 is an end view of the carrier and basket, Fig. 3 is aView similar to Fig. 1 showing the propelling device projected in theact of driving the carrier from the station, Fig. 4 is a sectional viewon the line :0m of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 5is a plan view showing the relative positions of the pairs of frictionarms.

In the drawing, 2 represents a suitable supporting hanger having,preferably, ears 3 at its lower end, whereon a plate or frame 4,preferably of substantially U-shape in cross section, is supported bymeans of pivot pins 5, and capable of oscillation, walking beam fashion,in a vertical plane by means of adjusting screws 6 carried by saidhanger. A line wire 7 is secured in the rear end of the plate 4. A block8 is slidably supported on said line wire within the plate 4 and issecured to the rear end of a plunger 9 whose forward end is adapted toengage a carrier frame 10 having wheels 11 to roll upon said Wire. Anelastic re- STCRE-SERVIGE APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patgnted N 24, 1914 Application filedNovember 21, 1910, Serial No. 593,427. r

Renewed April 39, 1813. Serial No. 764,689.

tracting cord 12 is secured to the rear end.

of the plate 4 and extends forwardly beneath and parallel with the linewire and is attachedto a block or pusher 13 which also slides upon theline wire and is secured to the forward end of the plunger. The cord 12is put under tension when the plunger is projected for the purpose ofreturning it to its normal position. In place of the retracting cord 12any other suitable means may be employed, such as a push back spring onthe line wire in front of the rear hanger of the plunger. This would bean obvious modification, which I have not thought necessary toillustrate herein. A propelling cord 1 having a handle 12 is attached tothe block 8 and passes over a pulley 13 on the frame 4. Friction arms14v and 15 are mounted on the forward end of the plates 4, said armsbeing in pairs, one arm of each pair, preferably the lower, beingsupported by a screw 16 and yieldingly held toward the upper arm of thesame pair by a spring 17. A pin 18 is provided on the carrier to passbetween. the friction arms and gradually check the momentum or impetusof the carrier as it enters the station.

The carrier frame has hangers 19 at each end terminatin in supports orbearings 20 wherein the ends of a basket 21 are hinged and locked bymeans of locking levers 22. This basket hingedat each end forms thesubject matter of a pending application for U. S. Patent No. 258,504,filed May 2, 1905, and the locking lever is covered substantially byapplicants Patent No. 801,890, October 17 1905, and hence neither ofthese devices needs extended illustration or description herein, theessential feature being the basket hinged at both ends and capable ofbeing lowered at either end in connection with the propelling device forejecting the basket from the station. A basket supported in this way,with bearings on both sides of the line wire, cannot oscillate laterallywhen'driven from the station and hence has been found to be verysatisfactory and serviceable in connection with mechanical propellingmeans. The propelling device I have found to be of decided advantage, asit permits the application of the propelling force to the carrier closeto the track wire. In propelling the basket by hand the power is applieda considerable distance below the wire and difficulty is experienced inpreventing the basket from oscillating after it leaves the station.Evidently the nearer the application of force to propel the basket, tothe wire support of the basket, the less danger there will be ofoscillation.

I claim as my invention:

1. A store service apparatus comprising a hanger provided with dependingcars at its lower end, a plate having horizontal pivots with said earsnear its middle portion and capable of tilting on its pivots in avertical plane, means carried by said hanger and engaging said plate fortilting it upwardly or downwardly, a line wire secured to the rear endof said plate, a carrier for said wire, a block slidable on said wire, aplunger whereon said block is mounted, and a propelling cord attached tosaid block and movable over a pulley provided at the forward end of saidplate.

2. A store service apparatus comprising a hanger, a plate, U-shaped,substantially, in cross section, pivoted at a point near its middleportion on said hanger, means for tilting said plate in a vertical planeto raise or lower the forward end thereof, a line wire extending intosaid plate and secured to the rear end thereof, a block slidable on saidlino wire, a plunger whereon said block is mounted, a propelling cordattached to said block, a pulley provided at the forward end of saidplate over which said propelling cord passes, and a carrier supported onsaid line Wire in the path of said plunger.

3. A. store service apparatus comprising a hanger, an extended framehaving a pivotal connection therewith for tilting movement in a verticalplane, said connection being intermediate the ends of said frame andrelatively remote from each of said ends as compared with the overalllength 01" the frame, means carried by said hanger for tilting saidframe, a line wire secured to the rear end of said fra ie, a carrieradapted to travel on said wire, and means for propelling said carrieraway from said hanger.

4%. A store service apparatus comprising a hanger, an extendedsubstantially horizontal frame connected thereto, a line wire, a carrieradapted to travel on the latter, a pusher, means for projecting saidpusher from said frame for propelling said carrier away from saidhanger, and an elastic cord for retracting said pusher, said cordextending sub stantially the length of said frame and beingsnostantially free from sharp bends intermediate the ends thereof, aportion of said cord being connected to said frame.

5. A. store service apparatus comprising a hanger, an extending -framemounted walls ing-beam fashion upon said hanger, said frame havingpivotal connection with the hanger intermediate the ends of the frameand relatively remote from each of said ends as compared with theoverall length of the frame, means carried by said hanger for tiltingsaid frame substantially in a vertical plane, a line wire, a carrieradapted to travel on said wire, and means for propelling said carrieraway from said hanger.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 16th day ofNovember, 1910. CHAS. J. MILLER. Witnesses Gnnnvinvn E. Sonnnsnn, EDWARDA. PAUL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I), G.

